Improvement in awls



T. KENNEY.

Improvement in Awls.

Patented May 2,1871.

No. n4,446.,

ttniitt 11m that office.

THOMAS KENNE OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 114,446, dated May 2', 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN AWLS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters-Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, THOMAS KENNEY, of Lynn, in

the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,

haveinvented an Improvement in Awls; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification, is a description of my invention suflicient toenable those skilled in the art to pracpoint) the awl is usually made with a point like the point of a commoubrad-awl, or with-a straight edge extending diametrically across it.

Now, as the motion given to the awl-shank in its piercing operation is always in a straight axial line, and as the surface of the stock is more or less irregular and sometimes inclined from a plane right angular to the axis of the awl, the point of the awl often glances or is deflected as it enters the stock and does not pierce the hole in a straight axial line, the'strain caused. by such deflection also oftentimes resulting in breakage of the hwls.

In my invention I entirely correct any possibility of such deflection by making the awl endwith'two or more salient points, connected by a cutting or entering-edge, so that when the-awl strikes the-leather one of these points will always strike and enter the'work properly, and will be prevented from deflectidn by the immediate entrance of the other point or points.

' It is in such an awl that iny invention consists, or

in an awl having two or more entering-points, connect'edby a cutting-edge or edges.

The drawing shows a sewing-machine awl embodying the improvement, and an enlarged elevation and plan of the entering-end.

a denotes the awl-shank, made round, square, or of other sectional, form, the. drawing showing ashank made square in section.

At the entering-end or point the shank is made with two spurs or points, b, each of which is in line with the side of the shank, a notch being formed between and by the points,.and the points being con nected-by the sharp edge 0, which, though made angling by the points, presents a cutting or entering-edge differing only from the brad-awl edge of the common awl in the fact that, instead of extending straight across it, it is formed ,in the two parts, each leading from the side to the center and meeting at an angle, as shown in the drawing. A

In the common construction of the awl and its arrangement with reference to the needle, one principal difliculty arising from-deflection of the awl-point is that the hole made by the awl, not being in correct line with the axis of the awl, is, of course, out of line with the axis of the needle, so that'when the needlepoint follows it strikes the stock instead of entering the hole, and thus makes had work;

, An awl, the entering endof which is formed with two or more points, connected by a cutting-edge, (or edges,) substantially as shown and described.

' THOMAS KENNEY.

Witnesses:

FnAnors Gonnn, S. B, KIDDER. 

